Marlon Williams – ‘Come To Me’

Toning things down with just a soft-guitar and his rich voice, ‘Come To Me’ slowly builds layer after layer of sweet harmonies, reverb-soaked drums and swelling strings, becoming heart-warmingly tender whilst still maintaining Williams’ signature tinge of sadness. The timeless track combines vintage blues inspiration with luscious instrumentation to create something that is difficult to define but very easy to listen to.

The angel-voiced folk artist describes this latest offering as an ‘homage to male bonding’ and this is captured in the video, directed by Martin Sagadin, which features the band’s pre-show tradition of playing a bit of friendly basketball, eating fish and chips and sharing the whole experience with their loyal dog. If male bonding looks like a clumsy tackle, it sounds like this.

To celebrate the release of Make Way For Love next week, Williams’ will be touring the country in May.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – ‘Mainland’

It’s been a wild 12 months for the band – releasing their beloved 2017 EP The French Press, touring the world, playing their biggest bandrooms to date and being invited to play Coachella and Shake Knees in 2018.

But before they skip the mainland again for another run of US, Canadian, UK and European tour dates throughout May and June, they’ve revealed brand new material that holds a similar gravity and relentless energy with their undeniable storytelling flair and Aussie wit.

Recorded in a secluded house in the Northern NSW wilderness, their new single ‘Mainland’ was initially inspired by a 2017 trip for singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Russo and a trip to his grandparent’s birthplace of the Aeolian Islands off Sicily.

“I was reading about a refugee crisis unfolding not far away in the Mediterranean Sea. The song is about longing, disillusionment, privilege and holding on to love as a kind of shield.”

It’s the sound of relief to have RBCF back in our centre vision, even if they are jumping ship for a few months. But before they scoot, you can catch their hooky guitars, layered melodies, unmistakably Australian dry wit playing Laneway Festival across the country.

11 January, 2018

Vance Joy Is Bringing It Home With A Soaring New Single + Video

Melbourne treasure Vance Joy has set 2018 on a brilliant trajectory with the announcement of his highly anticipated sophomore album Nation Of Two, due for release on February 23. To keep us satisfied until then, Vance Joy has shared a tender new single ‘We’re Going Home.’

As we’ve come to expect from Vance, the latest single is equal parts sensitive and catchy. His pure voice glides through soaring melodies as he sings of love and belonging. ‘We’re Going Home’ builds from a soft acoustic soundscape to a euphoric chorus full of triumphant brass and the cinematic video, directed by Mimi Cave, matches the supreme poignancy of this new offering.

Vance has previously shard to cuts of the upcoming album, the powerfully yearning single ‘Lay It On Me‘ and reflective folk track ‘Like Gold‘. With 13 tracks of emotional storytelling and compelling melodies, Nation Of Two is bound to be at least as heartrending and warming as his phenomenal debut album dream your life away, which featured mega-hit ‘Riptide‘.

Vance explains, “Nation of Two describes a perfectly self-contained couple; their world beginning and ending at the bed they share, the car they ride in, or any other place where they’re together…The idea that their love for each other gives them their bearings; a point of reference that makes sense of life.”

Very big vibe to follow the narrative in its entirety when Nation Of Two is revealed Friday, 23 February.